Pulse register circuit



July 4, 1944. R, o. soFFEL PULSE REGISTER CIRCUIT Filed June 28,4 1941NS l u u Poemes,

UNITED; srA'rEs assaut Y' ff 1 runas sadism Robert 0. Bolel,

Hastings signor to Bell Telephone Labor! porated, New York, N. Y., a

York

corporation oi New f application :une ss, im, sumiso. cass s claim. (ci.11i-sasl' v Vproceed in accordance therewith to control sev 'lectorswitches to establish a desired connection.

Heretoiore, key pulsing circuits oi this general characterhave beenemployed, asl disclosed in Patent No. 1,780,906 granted to W. W.Carpenter and R. E. Hersey on November 11, 1930, to enable a tolloperator to complete connections over panel dial switching equipmentand, as disclosed in rPatent No. 1,916,760 granted to I. H. Henry on lJuly 4, 1933, to enable an A switchboard opert' through the application,in code combinations,

of currents of two strengths emanating from sources of potential ofeither negative orv positive polarity over one or both of the twocontrol conductors extending from the operators position tothe sender.`llt the sender, three impulseresponsive relays are connected seriallyin each control conductor, one being polarized, one being marginal tocurrent of either polarity and a third being sensitive to current ofeither polarity. For the selective operation of the impulse-responsiverelays, batteries o! opposite potential are required at both theoperator's key-set and at the sender and the relays require carefuladjustment because of the current margins employed for their selectiveoperation.

The present invention has for one of its objects the employment of a keypulsing system whereby a satisfactory marginal operation is obtainedwithout the employment o! marginal relays. thereby permitting successfuloperation over longer control circuits. A further object ot theinvention is the utilization upon each of the two signaling conductorsof a combination of gaseous conducting tubes which operate in responseto appropriate potentials applied to the conductors by the depression ofthe keys at a key-set which control said potentials.

In accordance with the present invention, yuse is made of gaseousconducting tubes as impulseresponsive relays, each o! which' maybefilled -with a low pressure gaseous content which, ior

purposes oi illustration, might be neon, argon, helium, mercury vapor orcombinations of gases of this group. Each tube hasa certaincharacteristic. namely, that its gaseous content will become ionized andthus conducting on one potential determined byfl the electrical designof its electrodes, the' nature of its gaseous content and the pressurethereof. and will remain conductingy on a much lower potential than thatwhich origin'ally initiated conductivity. As disclosed, each tube is oithe cold cathode type; that is a type in which the cathode is normallyin the nonemitting state, but it is obvious that a tube of the hotcathode type in which the nlament is heated from a suitable currentsource to place the cathode into the emitting state, might equally wellbe employed. Each tube functions as an ionic relay to establish anoperating circuit for an impulse-responsive relay included within itscathode-anode circuit.` The impulse-responsive relay associated witheach tube may be of simple, eillcient'design since it is not required tobe selective to current` margins or reversal oi potential over thecontrol circuit extending from the key-set.

For the purpose of illustration, the invention is disclosed with-respect to a signaling system in which a key-set ten depressible keyshas connected to it two pairs of oppositely poled batteries, each` paircomprising a high battery of high voltage value relative to theassociated "low" battery, and aground, ior the transmission over twolineconductors connected to the keys, of 'a combination of twopotentials, or a, potential 'and a ground, or'a potential alone for eachdigit according to a predetermined code. One 'oi' the two conductorsterminates in two tube and relay combinations to ground, one tube havingits anode connected tothe conductor in order to operate when 4 positivebattery is connected thereto andthe other having its cathode connectedtothe conductor in order to operate when negative battery is connectedthereto. 'I'he other" conductor is `ct'mnected't'o the anode of anothertube.` the'cathode of which is connected to ground'v through the'windingof a relay, but the cathode and anode' electrodesof the tube are alikein electrical design and will ionize on 'voltages of eitherpolarity'wh'en said voltages exceed the critical breakdown voltage ofthe tube.' Two A other tube and relay combinations are connected acrossthe two conductors 'and are poled to becomeconductin'gon oppositepolarities by the iact'that'their respective cathodes and anodes'conducting on opposite polarities if the cathode `and anode,respectively, of the two tubes are connected to the same conductor.

Contacts o! the impulse relays which close when'their respective tubesare rendered conducting upon the application of appropriate potentialsto the two control conductors, are progressively connected to aplurality of groups of steering relays while other contacts areconnected to a corresponding plurality of groups of register relays bymeans of which the successive operation of the impulse relays, inresponse to the activation of the control conductors and the operationof the tubes rendered conductive thereby, may be registered insuccessive groups of` the register relays, the contacts oi the impulserelays being advanced by the operation of successive groups oi' steeringrelays to succeeding groups ure 2 a pulse code which, for-each digit,shows the polarity of the potential to be applied to the` two controlconductors in order to render the tubes'of the network conducting in thecombination required to operate the relays in their respective circuits.

Referring to the ilgures, a key-set of ten keys is designated by thenumeral |00, the stationary springs of the keys being connected to oneor both of the tip and ring control conductors and |02, while theworking springs of the keys are connected to positive battery +HV thenegative pole of which is grounded, or to negative battery -HV thepositive pole of which is grounded or to low voltage positive battery+LV whose negative pole is grounded, or to low voltage negative battery-LV whose positive pole is-grounded, or to ground as required by'thepolarity and strength of potentials tobe applied to conductors |0| and|02 in'accordance with the pulse code of each of the several digits. Thecontrol conductors |0| and |02 terminate, at their distant ends, in arecording circuit which comprises four gas-lled tubes 'I'I0,y 'ITI 'II2and TII. connected to conductor |0| and to relays 0, I, 2 and 4,respectively, and tube RT connected to conductor |02 and to the windingof relay 5. Tubes TI0 and 'II4 have their respective cathodes connectedto conductor |0| while tubes TTI and TI'2 have their respective anodesconnected to said conductor. The electrodes of tube RT are identical andeither one, therefore, may be connected to conductor |02. Relays and 4have their other terminals of their respective windings grounded, whilerelays 0 and 2 have their other terminals connected to conductor |02 andto an electrode of tube RT.

Each relay has one grounded contact which, when the relay operates,engages a mate contact which is connected to conductor |01 that extendsto the No. 1 armature of steering relay AL and another grounded contactwhich, when are structurally dinerent so that they become the relayoperates, grounds one orv more of the' tour signaling conductors 2', I',and l' that extend, through the lower set of four pairs of contacts onthe companion relay ACor the steering pair oi' relays AL-AC, to the fourregister relays Al, A2, A4 and Al ot the A register. The

signaling conductors are extended to similar contacts on correspondingrelays of other steering pairs of relays by means ot which they may beJoined to other register relays similar to those oi the A register as,for example,l to the contactsof relay BC which extend the signalingconductors to the relays (not shown) ofthe B register, the contacts of.relay CC to those of the C register etc., up to and including thecontacts 'of relay y STAC to those of the STA register. As manyregisters may be used as is required to register the maximum number ofdigits of any line designation keyed up on the digit keys of the key-set|00. It is to be understood, however. that while the. invention has beendisclosed for purposes of illustration with the registering apparatusshown to the right of the tube network, such a register is merely usedherein by way oi' example as it is evident that any other type ofregister, regardless of whether it comprises switches, ionic devices orrelays, could be used equally well to register successive digits thatmay be recorded by the operation oi' relays l, 2, land l as explainedhereunder, provided that such registering apparatus is equipped with asuitable transl fer device that will cause the signaling conductors 2',l and 5' to be connected, in suecession, to settable registers capableof responding to the activation ot said conductors.

The register may be assumed to comprise a part of that iargercircuitorganization known in automatic telephony as a sender by means orV whichselector switches are selectively positioned `40 to reach a wanted linein accordance with the 'f setting or the registers and that, to carryom:k

this function, the sender, when seized, will ground the oil-normalterminal 0N, will cause the operation of relay AL in any suitable mannerand that, as a consequence, relay AC is caused to operate over a circuitwhich is completed from battery through the winding oi relay AL, throughcontrollable means in the sender, winding of relay AC, No. 5 contacts otrelay BC to ground through the No. 2 contacts of relay AL. Relay AC, inoperating, connects the sig-i naling conductors 2', 4' and l to thewindings, respectively, ot relays AI, A2, AI and Al of the A register. f

It will be assumed that the digit 0 is to be registered. According tothe pulse code chart in the drawing, the registration oi' the digit 0calls for the/application of negative low voltage battery -LV to the tipconductor |0| and positive .low voltage battery +LV on the ringconductor The connection of the two batteries to these two.

conductors provides suillcient diilerence of pctential across thecathode and' anode of TTO to cause its breakdown. It will be observed,

however, that the same two batteries are applied to the cathode andanode of tube TTI while battery -LV is applied to the anode of tube 'ITIand tothe cathode of tube Trl, and battery +LV is applied to the cathodeof tube RT. Now the reason why tube 'I'I0 breaks down upon the negativebattery--LV. is, applied while its anode'.

is connected toone sidev of winding of relayf 5 I to the other sideoi'.- which battery +LV islan-` plied,r whereas, in the case of tubeTT2, its anodev is connected to 'conductor :itl to which negativenectedto one side of theV winding of relay 2 to the other side of whichpositive battery -l-LV is applied. Now since therequisite or gaseoustube conductivity is not' only'that an appropriate dif- Aference ofpotential must-be applied across its electrodes to cause the gaseouscontent within the envelope of the tube tobecome conducting but, also,that a positive source of potential must be applied to its anodeelectrode and a negative source of potential must be applied to itscathode electrode when the design of these two electrodes is different,it follows that the application of batteries -LV and +LV to theelectrodes of tube TI'0 is oi the proper polarity to break down tube'IT0 and render it conducting while it is not oi the proper polarity toeffect the ionization of tube TT2. Accordingly, tube 'I'I'0 is renderedconducting and a circuit is established therethrough which traces frombattery -LV on the lower contacts of key 0,v conductor over theconducting path between the cathode and anode of tube TTO, winding ofrelay 0, conductor |02, upper contacts of key 0, to battery +LV, causingthe operation of relay 0. Tubes TTI and 'I'Il are not caused to breakdown since the cathode of the former is connected tol ground while thepotential supplied by battery -LV across the cathode-anode path toground of the latter is not suilicient to produce ionization. Nor is thepotential supplied by battery +LV suillcient to ionize tube RT.

Relay 0, upon operating, grounds conductor |01 and thereby completes acircuit for relay BL which extends from ground on the contacts of4 relay0, conductor |01, No. l front contacts of relay AL, winding of relay BLto battery. Relay BL operates and, over its No. 2 contacts and the No. 5contacts of relay CC, connects a shunting ground to one side of thewinding of relay BC, the other side of which is held grounded overconductor |01. According to the code, the registration of the 0 digit iseiected by causing none of the relays of a particular register to beoperated, so that if relay AC is the iirst cut-in relay of the steeringcircuit to be operated for the purpose of registering a particular digiton the group of relays AI-AS, then the registration of an 0 digittherein by the application of battery -LV to the tip conductor |0|,battery +LV to the ring conductor |02 and the consequent operation oirelay 0, will leave the register relays AI-AS in their unoperatedposition, which fact will be indicative oi a zero registration. When thekey 0 is restored, the two batteries ,-LV and +LV are disconnected fromthe two conductors |0| and |02, tube 'I'I0 is extinguished, relay 0 isreleased, ground is thereupon disconnected from conductor |01, the shuntaround'the winding of relay BC is removed, and said lastmentioned relaywill now operate in series with relay BL over a circuit which may betraced from .y register.

io; battery -LV is'a'pplied 'while its cathode is con-s conductors|',"2',4' .and l' are switched out of engagement with the windings oi'the' ilrst group oijregist'er relays yAi-f-Al and connected'into en- 1;Easement with the winding of relays B|Bi (not 'shown) ,which areconnected to the armatures of .the `operated` relay-BC, The next digitwhich will betransmit'tedjbythe depression of the appropriate key in'key-set I0l will now be registered Un th group-oi relays Bl-BS of the BLet it be assumed that the digit to be registered isthe digit 1 which,according to the pulse code, calls only for the application of the highpositive battery +HV to the tip conductor |0|. Now since the anode oftube 'ITI is connected to conductor |0| and the cathode of tube 'I'I'lis connected to this conductor, the application of high positive4battery +HV to said conductor will cause tube TTI to break down and berendered conducting thereby while tube TTI remains unaffected.l Whentube-TTI breaks down, relay operates over an obvious circuit inconsequence of which ground is applied to conductor |01 and also toconductor i. Ground on conductor |01 completes the circuit for relay CLover the No. 1 back contacts of relay AL, No. l front contacts of relayBL, winding ol relay CL to battery, causing said relay to operate andestablish a shunt around the winding of relay CC by way of ground on theNo. 2 contacts of relay CL and ground on conductor |01. The ground onconductor now completes a circuit for relay Bl (not shown) which extendsfrom ground on said conductor, the No. 1 contacts of relay BC, windingof relay B| to battery. Relay BI operates and locks to oil-normal groundover its own contacts and, by so operating and locking, registers thedigit 1 in the group of register relays BI-B5 of the B register. Whenkey is released, battery +HV is disconnected from conductor |0|, tubeTTI is quenched to disrupt the current flowing therethrough, relay isreleased, ground is removed from conductor |01 and the short circuitaround relay CC is thereby removed causing said relay to operate inseries with relay CL over a circuit completed from battery through thewinding of relay CL, winding of relay CC to ground on the No. 2 contactsof relay CL. Relay CC, in operating, opens the circuit of relays BL andBC, the latter disconnecting the group of register relays B|B5 from thesignaling conductors I', 2', 4' and 5', while the operation of relay CLcauses the connection of these conductors to the windings of the nextgroup of relays CI-C5 (not shown). Since relay BI is locked toofi-normal ground ON, the registration of the second digit remainslocked in the B register while the next digit that will be transmittedby the depression of the appropriate key at key-set |00 will beregistered in the third group of register relays Cl-C5.

It is thought unnecessary to describe the further operation of theregister circuit in response to the grounding of the signal conductors2', l' and 5'. Whether the digit keyed is registered in the ilrst groupof relays or any intermediate group of relays or the last group ofrelays depends upon the condition of the steering relays which, in turn,are operated sequentially upon the release of the individual keys toprepare the register for the subsequent operation of one of said keys.In describing, therefore, the registral" BC. I- 11150;'existir-isf'.Yopens the circuit of relay 'f AC as'wellfas relay AL causing both oi'them to release, infconsequence of which the signalins tion of otherdigits, said registrations will be described, for simplicity, withreference to the iirst group of register relays Ai--AB of the Aregister. Assuming, therefore, that the digit 2 is to be registered,then. according to the code chart, battery -i- LV is to be applied tothe tip conductor and battery -LV is to be applied to the ring conductor|02. Accordingly, upon the depression of key 2, and since positivebattery +LV is applied to the anode of tube '1'12 and to the cathode oftube TI0, the reverse operation of that which took place for theregistration of the digit 0 will now take place; namely, tube TT2 willbe ionized and rendered conducting while tube TFO remains unaiected, thepotential between -LV and ground not being sufficient to break down tubeRT. Similarly, the potential of battery i-LV is insuillcient to ionizetube 'I'II and is of the wrong polarity to ionize tube TN. Since relay 2is included in the anode-cathode circuit of tube TT2, said relay willoperate, thereby grounding conductor |01 and causing the operation of asteering group of relays in the manner already described, while groundis further applied to conductor 2 and thereby completing a circuit overthe No. 2 contacts of relay AC, winding of relay A2 to battery, causingsaid relay to operate and lock over its contacts to of!- normal groundON. When the key is released,

batteries +LV and -LV are disconnected from ,Y

the tip and ring conductors |0| and |02, respectively, tube 'IT2 isquenched to release relay 2 and ground is removed from conductors |01and 2', the former causing the advance of the steering circuit while thelatter causes relay 'A2 to remain locked to off-normal ground.

The registration of digit 3 which follows the depression of key 3 iseffected, according to the puise code chart, by applying high positivebattery -i-HV to the tip conductor |0| and ground to the ring conductor|02. Hence upon the depression of said key, the application of battery+HV to conductor |0I will cause the breakdown of tube TTI and theoperation of relay l for the reasons previously given, while theapplication of ground to the ring conductor |02 will cause the breakdownof tube TT2 since the difference of potential between battery +HV andground is suiiciently high to cause breakdown, and the polarity of thepotential is in the right direction inasmuch as the positive side of thebattery is applied to the anode and the negative side to the cathode ofthe tube. As in the registration of the digit 2, relay 2 groundsconductor |01 and conductor 2 while relay also grounds conductor |01but, in addition, further grounds conductor I'. Ground on conductor |01causes the operation of the steering circuit to prepare for the advanceof the signal conductors i', 2', 0' and 5' upon the release of the keywhile ground on conductors and 2' completes circuits for relays AI andA2 which, upon operating, lock to oil-normal ground. The operation andlocking of relays Al and A2 in response to the grounding of conductors land 2', by the operation of tubes TT| and TF2, respectively, registersthe digit 3 in the group register AI-A5.

'I'he registration of digit 4 is accomplished by connecting highnegative battery -HV to the tip conductor |0| In this case, the negativepole of the battery is connected 'to said conductor to which thecathodes of tubes 'I'I0 and '1'14 are connected to the anode of tube TTlthrough the winding of relay 0. Since conductor |02 is open at this timeto prevent the ionization of tube TTO and the polarity is proper and thedinerence of potential between the cathode and anode of tube 'ITI issufficiently high to cause its breakdown,

said tube ionizes and becomes conducting in oonsequence of which relay 4operates and grounds steering conductor |01 and signaling conductor 4',the latter completing a circuit through the No. 3 contacts of relay AC,winding of relay M to battery. Relay A4 operates and locks to oi!-normal ground to register the digit 4.

For the registration of digit 5 high positive battery +HV is applied tothe ring conductor |02 when the digit key 5 is depressed. Since the'difference of potential between +HV and ground is sufllcient to causethe breakdown of tube RT and since, in this case, the polarity of thebattery is immaterial, tube RTionizes and becomes conducting inconsequence of which relay 0 operates and grounds steering conductor |01to operate the steering relays and further grounds signaling conductor5' to complete a circuit through Vthe No. 4 contacts of relay AC to thewinding of relay A5 which operates and then locks to off-normal groundto register the digit 5. For -the registration of digit 6 high positivepotentiall battery +HV is applied to both tip and ring conductors |0|and |02, which will cause, for the reasons already given, the breakdownof tubes 'I'I'I and RT and the operation of relays and 6 causing therebythe grounding of steering conductor |01 and the signaling conductors Iand 5'. As previously described, ground on conductor l' will cause the'operation of relay A0, while ground on conductor l' will cause theoperation of relay Al and the operation of those two relays registersthe digit 6 on the group of relays AI-AS. In the same manner it may beeasily seen that the digits '7 and 8 and 9 may likewise be registered bythe applic-ation of the proper batteries to the tip and ring'conductorsin accordance with the code chart to cause the breakdown of the tubesand relays, the latter being shownv opposite the digit indicatedthereon. Since these circuits are all patently clear from the numerousexamples already given, the detailed description and operation areomitted.

While I have described my invention and the means for utilizing the samein connection with its specific application to a pulse recording circuitfcr the registration of digits transmitted from a key-set, it is to beunderstood that various other applications and embodiments thereof maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as denned within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a key pulsing telephone system, the combination with a key-setincluding a number of individual keys, three conductors and a pluralityof sources of potential, of a registering device comprising five gaseoustubes of which four are unidirectional and conduct current in onedirection upon being rendered conducting and the fifth is bidirectionaland conducts current in either direction upon being rendered conducting,a non-polarized relay for each said tube, one pair of saidunidirectional tubes having their respective anodes connected to theilrst of said three conductors and their respective cathodes to one sideof their respective relays, the other side oi' said relays beingconnected to the second and third of said three conductors respectively,the other pair of said unidirectional tubes having their respectivecathodes connected to the first o1' said three conductors and theirrespectivo anodes to one side of their respective relays, the other sideof said relays being connected to the second and third conductorsrespectively, said fLfth tube having one of its electrodes connected tothe second conductor and the other oi its electrodes to one side of itsassociated relay, the other side of said relay being connected to thethird of said three conductors, and means controlled by the operation ofeach oi' said individual keys of said key-set for selectively applyingsaid potentials with required polarity between said first and secondconductor and with required intensity between said second and thirdconductor to selectively render said tubes conducting whereby theirrespectively associated relays will operate to register the designationcharacterized by the operated individual key.

2. In a key pulsing telephone system comprising in combination akey-set, a storage device. and a three-conductor receiver circuitextending between said key-set and said storage device. comprising twotwo-element unidirectional gaseous conductor tubes each bridged inseries with a non-polarized relay between the rst and second conductorsoi said receiver circuit. said tubes being adapted to pass current inopposite directions therethrough when rendered conducting,

two two-element unidirectional gaseous conductor tubes each bridged inseries with a nonpolarised relay between the iirst and third conductorsot said receiver circuit, said last-mentioned tubes being adapted topass current in opposite directions therethrough, a two-element gaseousconductor tube bridged in series with a relay between the second andthird conductors of said receiver circuit. said last-mentioned tubebeing adapted to pass current in either direction when renderedconducting, a plurality or sources oi potential, means controlled by theindividual keys oi said key-set ior selectively applying said sources orpotential to the three conductors of said control circuit with therequired polarity between said iirst and second conductors and with therequired intensity between said second and third conductors to renderall of said tubes selectively conducting, whereby the currentestablished therethrough and through the respective relays in seriestherewith causes said to operate and register the designation'characterized by the operated individual key, and means responsive tothe operation oi' said relays for u transferring said designation tosaid storage l#come ROBERT O. SOPFEL.

